The Dominican Republic Air Force has reported the acquisition of four Leonardo AW169s with the arrival by airfreight of the first pair in recent days.

The helicopters were originally built for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, and local Dominican Republic sources are reporting that the Middle East nation never accepted the four from Leonardo. Initially the Italian-based manufacturer offered them to the Colombian Air Force.

The Dominican Republic signed a purchase contract in early 2023, and President Luis Abinader Corona made reference to the acquisition of four helicopters for “rescue at sea” operations in February of that year, without specifying the helicopter type. Major General Carlos R Rebrillet Rodriguez confirmed the purchase of four AW169s in a military ceremony a month later.

The four carried the Qatari serials QA-336 to QA-339, and were painted in the colours of the Al Zaeem Air Academy. The first two delivered are QA-338 and QA-339, both still in the white and burgundy Qatari colour scheme, and will no doubt take up local registrations in the near future.

Despite the reports that they were never accepted by the Qatari military, the first pair were delivered aboard a C-17 Globemaster from the Qatar Emiri Air Force to San Isidro on the evening of Saturday 23rd March.

An initial group of 16 pilots have been trained to fly the helicopters by Leonardo. The OEM has also trained avionics engineers.